Did you know that 90% of the brain is developed by 5 years old? Before primary school! Our country's future depends on the quality of our early childhood development services.

Since August 2023 Real Reform for ECD (#RR4ECD) has been engaging a wide range of civil society organisations, sector experts, early learning practitioners and other stake holders to produce a final manifesto document.

We stand in solidarity with RR4ECD in calling for all political parties to prioritise ECD.

It is one of its kind in the country, calling for change, increased budget and action on ECD plans in South Africa. Calling on political parties to prioritize young children, highlighting specific policy proposals that #RR4ECD want to see enacted between 2024 and 2029. This petition will be used to highlight the importance of young children in the lead up to the 2024 election, and also to demonstrate that there is a constituency for young children for the incoming government.

#RR4ECD is aiming for 10 000 signatures on the petition, by 10 April and 200 organisational endorsements of the manifesto. They will also be organising a rally in Gauteng in early April, where 100s of ECD practitioners will march to political party offices to deliver the petition to the major political parties, before a final event at Constitution Hill.

Join us in signing to call for political parties to do more for ECD. Join the Early Childhood Development (ECD) sector in calling on every political party to stand with us and commit to enacting this ECD Manifesto in South Africa! Find more information about The Real Reform for Early Childhood Development in South Africa RR4CED.